She hurried down the corridor, a sheen glisten of sweat lining her brow. In her hand was the ticket to Atlantic City she'd had to purchase for sixty nine dollars just to make past the security markers of the airport. She was trying to get to the gate she knew the flight was leaving out of. She had to get there. Failing or making it too late was simply not an option for Emily Fields. She was at the airport, late, but here hoping Paige hadn't yet boarded her plane.

Her heart raced, thundering in her chest as she got to the boarding area at the gate. She stopped, her eyes scanning the space, looking for the one girl she came to see. Her bottom lip trembled slightly, not seeing any sign of Paige. She was too late, she realized with a sigh. Moving numbly, she walked over to the large glass windows overlooking the runway.

Outside, there was an airplane already lifting off and another on the runway, still being boarded. That's the one. Emily thought to herself sadly. There was no way security would let her on that plane. She exhaled heavily. She was too late. After everything she'd helped accomplish today, she'd hoped to see Paige to convince her to stay. To fight her parents on this ridiculous decision of theirs to move Paige to California.

All day long, Emily and her friends had been so determined to get Alison arrested to prove Spencer's innocence. But for Emily, there was another reason why she'd been so determined. So focused. And that was reason was entirely more personal. Emily knew Paige's parents were convinced Rosewood was no longer safe for their daughter to stay. Things with –A had been steadily getting worse and the hooded person's actions getting worse and worse, culminating to murder with the actions at Mona's house.

But then, with evidence proving Alison to be –A, Emily was convinced with Alison's arrest, things would be safe for Paige to stay. She just had to prove that to Paige's parents. But first things first, she had to find Paige. That had been her mindset as she had raced to the airport after the arrest. She swallowed the lump in her throat, a tear filling in her eyes as she was beginning to realize she really was too late.

She's gone. I didn't make it in time. Emily thought to herself with anger. Anger at herself. She slammed her fist at her hip, watching the tarmac with frustration. She was still looking out the window at the plane when a reflection appeared just to the left of her. Her eyes snapped to the reflection, seeing Paige's face.

Emily turned around swiftly, her heart in her eyes as she took in Paige's face, smiling softly at her. She had her bag in her hand and she looked sad. Sadder than Emily had ever seen her look before. And she knew why. She was at the same high levels of sadness too. Without hesitation, she moved forward, throwing her arms around Paige and pressing a kiss to Paige's lips. "You're here!" she said with excitement. She wasn't too late. After the kiss, she hugged Paige's body fiercely.

The feeling of Emily holding her so tight made a shudder go through Paige's body. It was feelings like this Paige would miss. How Emily always made her feel. She had her arms around Emily's shoulders, hugging her just as tightly. She didn't want to let go, but Paige knew this was real life, not some kind of movie where there were happy endings. The last three months had taught her that. Reluctantly, Paige pulled back, pressing her lips to Emily's cheek and pressing a kiss there.

Emily also pulled back after a few more moments. "I thought you'd left." She said, her voice breaking.

Suddenly, Paige McCullers felt a lump in her own throat. She looked at the floor for a second before looking back into Emily's eyes. She lifted her arms and let them fall. She knew the next words were going to hard for Emily to hear. "The airline changed my gate." she hesitated for a moment, then she added the next words. "My plane's boarding now, Em." she looked at Emily, studying her face. Then, she asked. "How did you get past security?"

Emily felt an ache in her head and in her heart. She didn't like the way Paige said the words. She answered, her voice quaking a little. "Uh," she hesitated, looking down at the ticket in her hand, "I bought a sixty nine dollar ticket to Atlantic City."

Taking a breath, she forged ahead, determined to change Paige's mind about leaving. She couldn't lose her girlfriend. Not this way. "Paige," Emily said, looking into Paige's eyes, willing her to listen to her, "you don't have to go. They arrested Alison for killing Mona. It's over."

Paige wanted so much to believe her. She really did. But the past several months hadn't been easy ones for Paige. Dealing with Alison's return to Rosewood was hard enough, but Paige had been dealing with more than just that. Things she hadn't even told her girlfirend about. Things she couldn't. How could she tell Emily the extent of the things Alison had done to her that had her on the verge of suicide? How could she tell Emily that whenever Emily wasn't around, Paige was constantly paranoid about looking over her shoulder in fear that a hooded figure was going to jump out? But most of all, how could she tell the girl she loved more than anything that she was constantly worried about Emily herself when they weren't together? Paige's eyes dropped to the ground, an act that Paige did so often.

It was also one of the acts that was so endearing to Emily. Paige raised her eyes back to Emily's tear filling eyes. "She won't stay there, Emily. I think we both know that." was all she could say.

"Yes, she will!" Emily's voice was strong, as was her belief in the words. She put her left hand on Paige's neck, caressing her cheek with her thumb. "Tell your parents that they have to let you stay. With Alison in jail, it's safe for you now."

Paige gripped Emily's wrist, squeezing it. "They're not going to change their minds, Em. I have to go."

"No!" Emily stepped closer. "You don't. Listen to me, it's safe! I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it."

"I still have to go." she hated the words, but she needed to say them. Needed Emily to hear them.

The hand on her face dropped away. "Why?" Emily asked after a moment.

And Paige hated saying the next words too. "I'm drowning Emily." she said, a lump in her throat. "I'm so tired of everything, Em. Tired of looking over my shoulder, tired of being in my bed, worrying to death that A's going to do something to you, it's draining Emily. I don't know how much longer I can go on like this. It's like..." she paused, swallowing, "it's like I'm afraid if I stay, I'm going to forget how to just live." Paige exhaled a breath, briefly glancing out the window, then looking back at Emily. "So maybe this isn't such a bad idea, after all."

The intercom system clicked on overhead. "This is the final boarding call for..."

Emily ignored the rest, she knew time was running out. She was breathing heavier now. "Please," she said, "I know your scared and worried, but trust in us. Don't give up on us."

"I'm not." Paige swore. "I would never give up on us, Em. You know that. I just think that...for now...maybe this is what's got to happen."

A tear dripped down across Emily's cheek, followed by another. She shook her head. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. She was supposed to come here, Paige would change her mind about leaving, and together, they would fight her parents over it. Her eyes were downcast, so she didn't see the look in Paige's eyes, or the tear that fell down her cheek. But she felt the finger on her chin, lifting her face back up. And she felt Paige's lips as they gently pressed against hers. And Emily gripped Paige's hips, pulling her closer as she kissed back.

For several seconds, they stayed that way, lips pressed together, hands gripping bodies. Then, Paige pulled away slightly, and her arms wrapped around Emily. The raven haired girl wrapped her own arms around Paige, squeezing tightly. Then, just moments later, Paige reached down and grabbed her bag, turning and starting to walk away. She couldn't handle seeing the anguished face of her girlfriend. It was hurting her too much as it was. As she started moving away from Emily, she thought about her parents and their decree to her.

Nick McCullers was a hardheaded and stubborn man most of the time. Paige knew her own stubborness came from her father. As did her dedication to be the best at whatever she pursued. Her father was the same way. But that passion also spread into other aspects of life as well. Most notably, that protective instinct. Sometimes, it clouded her father's judgment and Paige knew that feeling well. She's fiercely protective of Emily. Maybe that was why these last months of dealing with A and Alison were so hard on her.

When her father had told her of the plan to move to California in three months, right around Christmas time, Paige had been devastated. It meant that she and Emily wouldn't have as much time together as they'd hoped. With Prom and Graduation fast approaching, Paige had hoped to have all that time to be with Emily, but her parents worry and protectiveness had kicked in and they had made these plans without even consulting her. That was the worst part, they made these moving plans without telling Paige anything. She was seventeen now and would soon be eighteen and they didn't trust her enough to have a say in the decision.

There was dissension in the McCullers home because of it and now, three months later, she still resented her mother and father for this. She'd meant it, what she'd said to Emily just now. She was still worried to death that something terrible would happen to Emily. Somehow, she still didn't believe it was completely safe. Even from jail, Alison could still manipulate things to get what she wanted. Paige knew that first hand. She wanted to stay, she knew that. Her parents be damned, she didn't want to go to California yet. She knew she'd have to when the summer arrived, but she didn't want to leave just yet.

She wanted to fight her parents, she wanted Prom and graduation with Emily by her side and she by Emily's. Her steps slowed down as she almost got out of Emily's sight. It came down to a simple choice, really. If she stayed, not only would she be defying her father, but she'd risk putting herself through more heartache and fear and worry. The same things she'd been dealing with these last few months. But she wanted to live. And it just now dawned on her one important revelation. In California, she wouldn't be living. She would be waking up, going through her day, but it wouldn't be living her life to it's fullest. Living to the fullest also meant fighting for what you want and not backing down.

She wanted Emily. She wanted that life at Stanford with Emily. Or more importantly, she wanted to just be at the same college Emily went to. Maybe it was being naive on her part, but she still believed it was possible to have that. She stopped completely, not turning around, her thoughts a whirl of activity. She knew her father was going to be furious. He'd probably even make a trip from California to come here himself in the next couple days. Her mother, well, she was more accepting of Paige's sexuality than her father and her mother was a sucker for romance, so Paige's mother would appreciate the romance in this. Paige took a deep breath, making her choice and hoping against hope that Emily was serious in their relationship. As serious as Paige was. She turned around.

Emily was still there, that same anguished look on her face. But she was watching Paige as she turned around. Paige walked back to her. Emily was breathing heavily still. "What are you doing?" she rasped out, her voice not strong.

Paige bit her lip, watching her. "I'm making a choice, Emily. My dad," Paige watched Emily's eyes, "he's not gonna like this." she reached for Emily's hand.

Emily gripped it immediately. "What are you saying?"

"I want to live, Emily." she answered honestly. "But, the thing is...if I go to California, I'm not going to be living, not really. I love you...if you'll stand with me, I'll fight my parents on this."

Emily's face brightened, that small sliver of hope in her eyes when Paige had stopped suddenly engulfing her entire face, lighting her up. She gripped Paige's hand, interlocking their fingers and bringing it up to her lips. She pressed her lips against Paige's fingers, kissing them. "We're in this together, Paige. I love you." and she pulled Paige to her, kissing her softly.

And as Emily kissed her, Paige kissed her back, realizing that she'd made the right decision. The confrontation with her father wouldn't be pleasant, but Paige felt she'd finally made the right choice. Choosing Emily was the best decision she'd ever made. And she wrapped her arms around Emily, relishing in the happiness she felt from that decision.